MUSSOLINI AS RULER

START OF RULE WANTED TOTAL CONTROL GIVEN POWER TO RULE BY DECREE FOR 1 YEAR GOT ACERBO LAW PASSED 1923 FASCIST PARTY #1 IN 1924 ELECTION SOCIALIST POLITICIAN MATTEOTTI CHALLENGED FASCISTSMATTEOTTI MATTEOTTI MURDERED – LED TO OUTCRY SOCIALIST MP’s LEFT PARLIAMENT NO REAL OPPOSITION KING REFUSED TO CENSURE MUSSOLINI

CONTROL FASCIST PARTY IN TOTAL CONTROL GRAND COUNCIL OF FASCISM FORMED BLACKSHIRTS BECAME STATE MILITIA NEW SECRET POLICE FORMED SPECIAL COURTS CREATED CONCENTRATION CAMPS OPENED UP RULE BY DECREE BECAME PERMANENT

PROPAGANDA USE OF PROPAGANDA BECAME IMPORTANT MUSSOLINI CALLED IL DUCE IMAGE OF MUSSOLINI EVERYWHERE IMAGEEVERYWHERE DEPICTED AS THE NEW CAESARNEW CAESAR PROPAGANDA WIDELY USED IN SCHOOLS EDUCATION USED BY FASCIST REGIME CHILDREN UNDER FASCIST CONTROL CHILDREN VERY STRICT CENSORSHIP INTRODUCED

CATHOLIC CHURCH REALISED CRUCIAL ROLE OF CATHOLIC CHURCH STRICT CENSORSHIP INTRODUCED ABORTION DECLARED A CRIME RE ALLOWED IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS MUSSOLINI HAD A CHURCH WEDDING POPE SAW MUSSOLINI AS OPPONENT OF COMMUNISM LATERAN TREATY SIGNED WITH POPE LATERAN TREATY BROUGHT HUGE POPULARITY TO FASCIST REGIME

ECONOMY BRILLIANT FINANCE MINISTER – DE STEFANI HELPED REBUILD ITALIAN ECONOMY 1920’s MUSSOLINI WANTED SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR ITALY GRAIN PRODUCTION DOUBLED HUGE PUBLIC WORKS SCHEMES BEGAN HUGE AMOUNT LAND RECLAIMEDLAND RECLAIMED NEW RAILROADS AND MOTORWAYS EARLY MARRIAGE ENCOURAGED TAX BREAKS FOR LARGE FAMILIES EXTRA TAXES TO BE PAID BY BACHELORS

CORPORATE STATE FASCIST WANTED END TO EMPLOYER- WORKER STRUGGLES WANTED STABLE ECONOMY TRADE UNIONS BANNED AND STRIKES FORBIDDEN EVERY INDUSTRY HAD OWN CORPORATION ALL PROBLEMS HAD TO BE SOLVED BY NEGOTIATION NOT A HUGE SUCCESS FOR WORKERS FASCISTS HAD REAL POWER AND CONTROL

FOREIGN POLICY AIMS MAKE ITALY GREAT, FEARED AND RESPECTED WANTED TO RESTORE NATIONAL PRIDE WANTED TO GAIN INTERNATIONAL RESPECT FOR ITALY WANTED TO DEVELOP A COLONIAL EMPIRECOLONIAL EMPIRE

RELATIONS WITH HITLER DISLIKED EACH OTHER AT FIRST FORMED ROME-BERLIN AXIS AFTER INVASION OF ABYSSINIA BOTH HITLER AND MUSSOLINI HELPED FRANCO DURING SPANISH CIVIL WAR SIGNED PACT OF STEEL WITH HITLER IN 1939PACT OF STEEL WWII BEGAN ALSO IN 1939

WWII ITALY JOINED WAR IN ITALIAN ARMY FOUGHT ALLIES IN NORTH AFRICA AND GREECEAFRICA ITALIAN ARMY PERFOMED VERY BADLY ALLIES LANDED IN ITALY IN 1943LANDED MUSSOLINI SACKED AND UNDER ARREST RESCUED BY GERMANS AND MADE HEAD OF NORTH ITALY PUPPET GOVERNMENT RESCUED

END ALLIED ARMY ADVANCED INTO NORTHERN ITALY MUSSOLINI TRIED TO FLEE IN DISGUISE RECOGNISED AND CAPTURED EXECUTED BY COMMUNIST PARTISANS EXECUTED

Assessment of place in history